Prepare the Way (Part 3)
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As we drove through northern Arizona’s Coconino National Forest during our family road trip this summer, we found ourselves unexpectedly and unnervingly close to an active wildfire. Plumes of smoke alerted us to hot spots nearby where fire crews worked to contain the blaze. We occasionally saw flames spreading among the ponderosa pines near the roadside as we traveled. We gazed sadly at areas of the forest that were completely blackened, now populated only by charred, barren trunks.
It looked like death—and the fire certainly brought danger and loss. But for a ponderosa pine forest, fire can also bring life. What looks like destruction can actually be crucial to the ecosystem’s life cycle, as low-intensity fires clear out the underbrush and enrich the soil with nutrients. Other ecosystems are similar; in fact, wildfire’s intense heat is necessary to release some seeds from their resin coating and activate other seeds from their dormancy. The source of destruction can also be a catalyst for new life.
I remember singing a worship song about the refiners fire. And the time were illustrations about the purifying work of fire was around every corner. One of the ones I can remember from childhood was the time I got a splinter and my grandmother wanted to get it our with a needle and before she used the needle she used a match and burn the needle. Why did you do that? To clean it. And of course…
“But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.
It is the picture of the need for purification in our time and place. And why not? Its not like we all don’t know that true righteousness is sorely needed in our world. Lies, deception and corruption has and still is a problem. We see it everyday, were experience it everyday, we suffer from it everyday. And make no mistake without intervention we are all a part of the problem. So question for you… now lots happening in our culture today, lots of transparency, and lots of exposure happening. We are still trying to gather the facts on much, but lets say the findings are true and many of our politicians are getting rich because of misappropriation of funds. Many illegal. Are we upset because it is wrong or upset because we can’t do something like this, we did not get rich like them, bust them because its not me. They got rich using my money, they got rich using me. Are we mad cause we couldn’t get away with it? We couldn’t figure out a way to do it. Hmmm.
I know that this may sound weird, but Christians are not to change the world, we are here to be separate from the world. Yep and then we change the world right… no, then we glorify God. To glorify God and enjoy him forever. This idea of Christians going out to change the world is not the principle that the Scriptures teach. Going out to change the world comes from existentialism… we are God’s super heros to come and save the day. The piece that I believe we are neglecting is the reality and necessity of holiness in the life of a Christian. Something that is needed and something that is required in the life of a Christian. It must be in the life of a Christian. This is what is clear in the preaching of John the Baptist and what we should expect in the words and work of Christ. Lets take a look at part 3 today.
“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
The grass withers the flower fades but the word of our God stands forever.
Transcendance
Sanctification
Judgement
The first thing we will look at today is the wonderful description of the transcendence of Christ by John the Baptist. Second, we will spend some time on the purifying nature of the fire from God. Third, we will see another description of the coming judgement of God and how we can be saved.
Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world causes us to lose sight of the need for true conversion and sanctification in the life of a Christian, it is the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of the scriptures that will cause us to see the wonderful vision of a sanctified people of God save to bring Him glory in all things.
I. Transcendance
-Christ is higher than the heavens.
A. As we continue through this discourse with John the Baptist we are presented with a picture that within all limitations of us as humans describes in a vivid way just how transcendent we should see our God. John the Baptist makes the claim.
B. Now the picture given here is that of a slave, but it is not in a category in which we might think. Certain slaves were ordained for certain jobs and believe it or not there were certain jobs that some slaves were too good for. Most of the jobs that had to do with feet were reserved for the lowest of slaves. It was the gentile slaves that would do this job… the lowest of gentile slaves. John the baptist is showing just how low we are in the grand scheme of things in comparison to our Lord.
C. When it comes to Christ, even the greatest of all human beings is not worthy enough to be the lowest of salves for this King.
“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!
D. He is pointing everyone to one that transcends. Far above the heavens is He.
O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.
For the Lord is high above the nations; his glory is higher than the heavens.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
E. John the Baptist is describing that reality of whom this person is who is coming after Him. And John the baptist is describing what He is gonna do.
II. Sanctification
-The Process of being made Holy.
A. Gonna skip the baptism part for later, but lets jump to the fire part. He does the baptism with water, but it will be different with Christ. Its gonna be the Holy Spirit and fire. Baptism of the Holy Spirit and with fire. This picture is that of transformation. With something wonderful.
B. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not evidenced with tongues… it is evidenced with power. That is the huge characteristic when it comes to Christians. Christians are those who have power in the Holy Spirit.
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
C. Power to do what? Power to bring glory to the living God. To bring God what he deserves. To honor Him. To worship Him. To testify of His greatness. Empowered to love. To show the world empowered that we are His disciples.
Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
D. And again we receive power to glorify the Lord. He empowers us to do what he has called us all to do. He empowers us to do His good pleasing and perfect will. And for many of us we doubt the power of God in our lives because we look that the empowerment of God as that which will produce the ends that we decide and define. And so we seek after strength for those things we need to be weak in. Anytime we do not feel strong in life is because we are needing strength in the areas we do not need strength in. Especially when it comes to our purity and our holiness.
E. It is not just the evidence of power in the life of a Christian but we also receive the fire of God. God’s desire is to purify his people. Holiness is and must be a priority for us who profess to be Christians. It must always be on the forefront of concern for us. That sin that thing that so easily entangles us. When you became a Christian God fired you up. Change. Transformation. Sanctification. He brought you out of darkness and into his marvelous light. And we have been baptized in fire and God brought to us Holiness in two ways.
F. Definitive Sanctification. We who are united with Christ are now called Holy. Our union with Christ is such and is in such a way that the Father calls us Holy.
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
G. By the blood of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit the baptism of fire has come and has caused us to be so purified, that the living God would call us holy. The fire has refined us. We were cleansed. The blood of Christ and his baptism of fire has made us whiter than snow. How awesome is this.
So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
H. And this is the ministry of the one who is coming and has indeed come in our time. He has brought to us power to bring glory to God and he has brought to us holiness by fire to bring glory to God. Wow even our holiness for God’s glory?
Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
III. Judgement
-Christ is coming to judge.
A. And yet again… why is this important? John the Baptist tells us. Judgement is coming. When it come to the harvest the grain is first threshed usually by the oxen and the kernals of grain are seperated from the stalks. Then comes the winnowing. Chaff is still clinging to the kernals. The fork is used to throw the grain in the air so that the wind and or afternoon breeze can blow the chaff while the kernals fall to the ground. And this continues until the threshing floor is clear and all is seperated.
B. The idea here is that Christ is coming to separate. There will be seperation between those who are his and those who are not. There are those who are his seen as the kernals of wheat and those who are not his comdenmed for punishment seen ad the worthless chaff. He will seperate.
C. Now the harvesters will gather the precious wheat into the barn. The greek here carries a beautiful picture of the wheat being stored away as something precious to the harvester. Those who he seperates are precious to the one who is coming that will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He will store us away. And then what will he do to the others?
D. When the winnowing is done, the chaff is collected and then it is burned. It will be the same for the goats that have been separated from the sheep, they will be thrown into the fire. But we see here a frightening picture made more vivid as we look at the Greek. The fire is unquenchable. The idea here is that the punishment is unending. It is not that there is a fire that is always burning in hell, it is saying that those who are there will always be burned by the fire in hell.
E. That is the warning given to us from John the Baptist. It is real, it is coming, and it will be terrible. John is warning us. He is not mincing words. He is not trying to be politically correct. He is not trying to be ambiguous. He is as clear as clear can be. Judgement is real, it is coming and it will be terrible. But then He points…
F. He points to the lamb of God who will take away the sin of this world. He is showing us that there is hope. There is salvation. He is pointing to the one who has come to save us. He points to the one that is coming and he is not worthy of carrying his sandals. Salvation belongs to the Lord. We can be saved today.
G. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried, and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. Jesus came into this world to seek and to save that which was lost. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead
to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. He saved
us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy
Spirit.
G. All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you
confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead you will be saved. Confess your sins and he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. Repent and believe the gospel. Repentance that
leads to salvation.
H. And Christian today, because we are found in Christ. Because we have union with Him. Not only do we have life and life more abundant. The least of us are now even greater than … the great John the Baptist. What a mighty God we serve.
